


Just what I'm feeling for you

by Kallonimo



Series: Shakarian Quarantine Project [28]
Category: Mass Effect Trilogy
Genre: Established Relationship, F/M, Secret Relationship, no beta we die like jenkins, prompt
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-14
Updated: 2020-06-14
Packaged: 2021-03-04 05:08:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 959
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24718045
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kallonimo/pseuds/Kallonimo
Summary: Alliance Command asks Shepard to keep her relationship with Garrus a secret
Relationships: Female Shepard/Garrus Vakarian
Series: Shakarian Quarantine Project [28]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1751218
Comments: 8
Kudos: 75





	Just what I'm feeling for you

**Author's Note:**

> Title from Smithereens by Twenty One Pilots (Someone stepping towards you, can't describe/Just what I'm feeling/For you, I'd go).
> 
> Prompt Category: Fluff  
> Prompt: “Go with me?” “As long as you hold my hand”

„Shepard, one last thing.“

She turns back around to face the hologram of Hacket, raising an eyebrow. “What is it, Sir?”

“Alliance Command has caught on to your...relationship with your Turian Crewmember, Garrus Vakarian.”

Shepard feels like she has been hit in the stomach. This was going to happen at some point, of course it was, she just really wishes she’d had a little more time. “And what about it?”

“They’re not...happy.”, Hacket seems almost flustered, he doesn’t want to be having this conversation any more than she does. “I for one couldn’t care less, but they seem to think you should be prioritizing humanity,”

She laughs at that. “Prioritize humanity, but not work with Cerberus, of course.”

Hacket shrugs. 

“I’m not going to break up with him, Hacket.”, Shepard hopes there isn’t too much emotion slipping through in her deceleration. She knows he is on her side, but Hacket doesn’t need to know what Garrus means to her. That’s between them. 

“Figured”, Hacket replies with a hint of a smile. “Just keep it on the down low. Avoid paparazzi in general while you’re at it and I’m going to tell Command that if they are asking you to save all our asses the least they could do is turn a blind eye on the matter.”

Shepard nods, once again hiding her relief. “Yes, sir.”

-

They manage it pretty well. 

Shepard and Garrus make a point of not going out on the Citadel together. Everyone on the Normandy knows anyway, so they don’t have to really care there and they are still professional about it, keeping any intimacy to her cabin and occasionally the main battery. Shepard even has Liara monitor popular publications for any hints about her personal life.

Of course, even with Shepard refusing interviews from anyone but Allers and keeping all her activities off the Normandy strictly business, there are rumours going around. Soon after Shepard asks Liara to keep an eye out for news about her and Garrus, Liara starts instead sending her the most amusing speculations she can find.

“Guess who you’re dating now”

Shepard sighs and lays her head down on the bar in the Normandy casino. “Kaidan?”

“No that was four weeks ago, keep up.”

“Oh I remember”, Shepard sighs. “I just had lunch with him recently so I thought they might get started with that again.”

“Nope”, Liara grins. “It’s me.”  
“Nice!”, she laughs. “Alliance Command is gonna go mad.”

Liara starts reading out the article. “Does Commander Shepard have a taste for blue?”

Shepard chokes on her drink, but Liara continues mercilessly. 

“One of Shepard’s most trusted companions has long since been the Asari Scientist Liara T’Soni…”

“They are so close”, Shepard mumbles “So damn close.”

“And yet, they ignore the one who has actually served on EVERY Normandy.”

Shepard raises an eyebrow. “You mean Tali?”

Liara dissolves into laughter.

-

On shore leave Shepard and Garrus kind of just...stop caring. Once the Normandy has been retrofitted, they will attack the Cerberus base. The chances of surviving the attack are low, so they might as well enjoy one shore leave as a couple before that.

The publications have moved on to theorizing about Shepard dating Joker of all people. The two of them had a good laugh about it and then had to explain the public's fascination with Shepard’s dating life to EDI.

Shepard can’t help but grin when Garrus declares “Luckily Archangel’s your boyfriend” over comm, or when she walks into the Casino a few hours later her arm hooked through his. It just feels so damn good. 

But all good things come to an end and soon enough they are back on the Normandy, flying toward almost certain death. As Shepard wakes up next to Garrus for what might be the last time she promises to herself that after all this is over she will be public about it. To hell what anyone thinks. 

-

They made it. They fucking made it.

One year since the battle of London and Shepard still can’t believe it sometimes. Sure, the scars on her body are a lasting reminder, but it’s just incredible that all of them are still here. 

She was even allowed to keep the Normandy, it’s a diplomatic vessel now. Delivering high priority officials safely and securely. Garrus stayed on of course, as did Liara and most of the crew. 

Now she is standing behind Joker’s pilot chair, wearing her dress uniform, watching him gently land the Normandy in the city. She hasn’t been back to London in the last year and she really wasn’t planning to, but Alliance Command is having a celebration so of course she has to be there. 

Garrus and Liara are waiting for her at the exit, the same one she pushed Garrus through a year ago, yelling she loved him. She hasn’t stopped loving him since and Shepard expects she never will. 

“Hey”

“Hey”, he leans down to kiss her and she meets him halfway. 

“Ready?” Garrus knows how much Shepard hates these things. How much she wishes Alliance Command could just let her do her job in peace. 

“One thing”, she takes his talons “I will only go out there if you hold my hand.”

Garrus questioningly tilts his hand. “I don’t think Alliance Command…”

“Screw them. I saved the fucking universe. If anyone gets to hold their husband’s hand in public it’s me.”

Garrus laughs and grips her hand. “Yes, ma’am.”

They walk out of the Normandy, into the city. A murmur goes through the crowd awaiting them and Shepard is almost blinded by the light of the cameras but she doesn’t care. 

Garrrus is by her side and as far as Shepard is concerned that’s all that matters.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading :)


End file.
